Blondes or brunettes? Beer or hard alcohol? My answer to these pressing questions is the same: both!
For Aston Villa fans it seems that the question is Bent or Gabby? Again the answer is still the same for me: both! It is a bit of a straw man argument as neither has been linked with a move as of late or expressed any dissatisfaction publicly but the issue keeps coming up. These are players with strengths and weaknesses that are critical to the club. This season on several occasions the club has played well with both of them on the pitch. During the numerous uninspired performances the issues have been team-wide in nature.
Gabby turned in some of his best performances on the left early in the season. Wayne Rooney frequently played in more of a supporting role when Manchester United still had Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez and it didn’t cause his career to stagnate.
This form earned Gabby an England call-up before he had to withdraw due to injury. He has since lost his goal-scoring touch and hasn’t scored since November. This lack of consistency has marked Gabby’s career. A far more severe dip in form and fitness is one of the main reasons Bent was brought in in the first place.
This is not intended to be a slight on Gabby at all. I, like all of you, am a huge fan of his. If or when Petrov moves on I think he should be captain. The way he has handled not playing in his preferred central position has been nothing but professional and the fact that he can slide back into that spot is quite the luxury to have.
The top clubs either have their striker situation settled (United, City, Spurs), expensive flops that they keep running out there (Liverpool, Chelsea), or would be unlikely to break their transfer record for an English striker already in their mid-20s (Arsenal). While Villa are 15th, the league is tight just like last season and there is little separating us from 8th. A move for either man would be lateral at best.
I look forward to seeing both men at our club for years to come. Their skill sets do complement each other and having both allows the club to play its current system, a variant of a 4-4-2, or a 4-3-3, although it’s difficult to envision this manager doing it. This versatility is important especially given the size of the squad
It’s great to see that the club reached its fundraising goal for Acorns Day. Going forward hopefully this becomes an annual event that grows in stature. Having one big event a year might be more effective in raising funds than a series of smaller events like having Paul McGrath solicit texts at halftime. It would take negotiations with Genting, but it would be great to see Acorns return to the club’s shirt one day a year on Acorns Day. It would make the day more special as many fans miss having Acorns on our shirt and it will enhance the value of the shirts when they are auctioned. The club could even do a very limited run of Acorns shirts to sell in the team store with proceeds going to Acorns.
The Author
